Vision catheter having electromechanical navigation

• US 20070225559A1
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Clerc, Claude, Rousseau, Alexandra, Hutchins, John, Headley, F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2676 Bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe

Abstract

The present invention is a visualization system including a small gauge vision catheter that is designed to be stand-alone or received within an instrument channel of a larger endoscope. The vision catheter has imaging means disposable within an imaging channel, a working channel, and an electromagnetic sensor element insertable into the working channel of the catheter to provide position tracking. The working channel of the catheter also provides access for therapeutic and diagnostic tools.

Claims

1. A vision catheter, comprising:

a shaft having a distal end, a proximal end and a number of lumens therein including a working channel lumen and a separate imaging channel lumen, the shaft having a diameter that allows it to be inserted into an instrument channel of an endoscope;

a position sensor positioned at or adjacent the distal end of the shaft that aids in determining the position of the distal end in a patient; and

an imaging mechanism positioned in the imaging lumen for obtaining images of the patient,

wherein the position sensor and the imaging mechanism can be simultaneously present in the shaft.

2. The vision catheter of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is removably positioned in the working channel of the shaft.

3. The vision catheter of claim 1, wherein the imaging mechanism is removably positioned in the imaging channel lumen.

4. The vision catheter of claim 3, wherein the imaging mechanism is a fiber optic catheter including a coherent bundle of imaging fibers and a bundle of illumination fibers.

5. The vision catheter of claim 4, wherein imaging fibers capture an image representing the tissue surrounding the distal end of the shaft and the proximal end of the shaft outputs the sensed image signals to an image processing system.

6. The vision catheter of claim 1, wherein the shaft has a maximum outer diameter of about 3.0 mm.

7. The vision catheter of claim 6, wherein the imaging channel is a C-shaped lumen, wherein the circumference of the imaging channel is not completely enclosed within the shaft.

8. The vision catheter of claim 7, wherein the imaging channel has a maximum diameter of about 0.5 mm.

9. The vision catheter of claim 6, wherein the working channel has a maximum diameter of about 2.0 mm.

10. The vision catheter of claim 6, wherein the shaft comprises at least one or more additional channels.

11. The vision catheter of claim 10, wherein the one or more additional channels are teardrop shaped.

12. The vision catheter of claim 1, wherein the shaft has a maximum outer diameter of about 2.7 mm.

13. The vision catheter of claim 12, wherein the imaging channel is a C-shaped lumen, wherein the circumference of the imaging channel is not completely enclosed within the shaft.

14. The vision catheter of claim 13, wherein the imaging channel has a maximum diameter of about 0.5 mm.

15. The vision catheter of claim 13, wherein the working channel has a maximum diameter of about 1.9 mm.

16. A method of examining a patient comprising:

advancing an endoscope into a passageway of a patient, the endoscope comprising an instrument channel;

inserting a vision catheter into the instrument channel of the endoscope, the vision catheter comprising a shaft having a distal end, a proximal end and a number of lumens therein including a working channel lumen and a separate imaging channel lumen,

inserting a position sensor into the working channel lumen of the vision catheter;

inserting an imaging mechanism into the imaging channel lumen of the vision catheter;

advancing the vision catheter beyond the distal end of the endoscope; and

simultaneously receiving visual images and position tracking information from the distal end of the vision catheter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual images are received from a fiber optic catheter including a coherent bundle of imaging fibers and a bundle of illumination fibers.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the position tracking information is received from an electromagnetic sensor element.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

removing the position sensor element and inserting a therapeutic instrument into the working channel lumen.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the vision catheter is advanced into a peripheral airway of the patient.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the vision catheter has a maximum outer diameter of about 3.0 mm.